Authors: Dr Amit Kumar Awasthi
Abstract: Nawabganj Bird Sanctuary, a Ramsar-designated wetland in the Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, India, serves as a critical wintering habitat and stopover site for a multitude of migratory bird species traversing the Central Asian Flyway (CAF). This comprehensive review paper synthesizes four decades of ornithological data, ecological studies, and management reports to analyze the patterns, drivers, and conservation status of avian migration at this vital sanctuary. The analysis confirms Nawabganj’s role as a key refuge for over 250 bird species, with a significant influx of Palaearctic migrants between November and March. Dominant families include Anatidae (ducks, geese), Ardeidae (herons, egrets), Rallidae (coots, moorhens), and a diverse array of waders (Charadriiformes). Migration timing and species composition are primarily driven by photoperiodic cues in breeding grounds and the availability of wetland habitat, forage resources, and thermal cover in the sanctuary. However, the review identifies a multifaceted crisis threatening this ecological function. Severe anthropogenic pressuresincluding water scarcity due to upstream diversion and erratic rainfall, invasive plant species (Eichhornia crassipes, Prosopis juliflora) encroachment, agricultural runoff leading to eutrophication, unsustainable tourism, and increasing human-wildlife conflict in the surrounding landscapeare degrading habitat quality. Emerging evidence suggests shifts in arrival/departure timings and a potential decline in populations of certain diving ducks and sensitive waders, possibly linked to climate change and local habitat degradation. This paper concludes that while Nawabganj remains a biodiversity haven, its long-term viability as a migratory bird sanctuary is precarious. The review advocates for an urgent, science-based, and integrated management approach. Key recommendations include securing ecological water flows, implementing systematic habitat restoration (invasive species removal, creation of deeper zones), strengthening community-based conservation, establishing long-term ecological monitoring programs, and promoting regulated, eco-sensitive tourism. The findings underscore that the sanctuary's future is contingent on translating its protected status into effective, on-ground ecological security.
DOI: http://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18629460
